Promise
by InfinityIllusion
Summary: Ichigo and the others are persecuted by the Shinigami for their powers, resulting in their flight to Heuco Mundo. But life just can't be that simple, can it? Slash, suggested Mpreg.


**A/N: So, this is what has been delaying my other stories, because the plot bunny wouldn't die.**

**Premises: The battle for Karakura town occurred, but instead of Aizen being a demented butterfly turned hydra-thingy, he's still working on getting the Hyogoku to accept him fully. Ichigo and co. push him back into Heuco Mundo with the Shinigami. This begins a few months later. THIS WILL JUMP AROUND A BIT IN THE BEGINNING!**

**Warnings: Character death, non-explicit rape, implied slash (just mentions of the pairing, they don't even kiss), I pick on Renji, suggested Mpreg (no details, there are just kiddies running around that weren't adopted)**

**Pairing: GrimmIchi, onsided AiIchi**

**Song: Kings and Queens by Thirty Seconds to Mars**

**Disclaimer: I own neither the song, nor the manga, despite my wishes to the contrary.**

* * *

_**Into the night**_

Ichigo looked behind him, his breathing ragged and coming in short bursts. His Shinigami uniform was darker than usual, blood having altered the initial black to some muddied maroon. Still he ran within the forest of birch trees, a wounded shadow between the moon's rays.

_**Desperate and broken**_

Yet they pursued him relentlessly, like the war dogs they were. Tears pricked his eyes. He was tiring quickly, his Hollow's healing capabilities long since exhausted. Words, shouts, screams, echo in his ears. He'd been reasonable, he'd been civilized. They refused to see him, to listen to him anymore. All he received for his trouble were wounds and insults that ripped his already torn soul.

Exhaustion was creeping closer, Morpheus not far from its heels. The only things keeping him on his feet were the encouragement from his soul partners and the consequences of being caught.

Shivers began to wrack his body – it was finally going into shock, but he'd cleared the forest. They would be on him soon.

_**The sound of a fight**_

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

The sword extended, tripping him and nearly severing his Achilles tendons. Some semi-hysterical part of his brain laughed at the irony of the situation. His Achilles' heel was always those he wished to protect.

Still, he struggled to free himself from the sword, succeeding in the end by cutting the fibers that held to sword together with Zangetsu who'd been trapped along with his legs. Zangetsu expressed his displeasure at being bound and further mutilated Zabimaru, with little assistance from Ichigo. There wasn't much help he could provide.

He continued to struggle forward, wounds hindering him as much as the attacks he attempted to fend off.

_**Father has spoken**_

Somewhere, the voice of Yamamoto - soutaicho reverberated throughout Soul Society.

"Kurosaki Ichigo and those who assist him must be captured to be brought to face the judgment of Central 46."

That voice seemed to be on a record player; it repeated and repeated, again and again. There was no reason given to the rest of Soul Society, there was no need. All knew that the Soutaicho had the best interests of the Soul Society in mind. If that meant capturing the one they had just celebrated as a hero, they would do so.

Ichigo just laughed. Laughed and laughed, the edge of madness his Hollow's laugh usually had was magnified in the one he now unleashed. It froze those that heard it. _When had they broken the boy?_ No one had an adequate response to the unspoken question.

_**We were the kings and queens of promise**_

There were so many things that were promised to them, though they never asked for anything in return for their services, other than being left alone, in peace, if they were not needed. Only, there were two problems with that desire: they were too powerful and too capable of joining their enemies. Ishida with his bow, his accuracy, and the legacy of his people; Orihime with her shielding and especially healing abilities; Chad with his extensive power to attack or to defend and the realization that his powers were more closely linked to those of a Hollow than a Shinigami; and Ichigo with his ability to adapt to any situation on the battlefield, the sheer size of his reiatsu, and his Hollow residing in his mindscape. There was so much potential for them in the Soul Society, but they were still living. There was no guarantee that they would always fight for the Seireitei and that possibility bred doubts and fears.

_**We were the victims of ourselves**_

All too soon, those doubts and fears resulted in conspiracy theories. Thus on the next visit to Seireitei by the four, orders were issued for their capture; the powers that they utilized and strengthened on behalf of the Seireitei to protect others from Hollows were now the reason for their persecution. In that sense, they were the victims of their own desire to protect. Ichigo's Hollow took great joy in pointing this out to his host as the four dispersed to avoid their attackers and one-time friends. Ichigo just felt numb.

_**Maybe the children of a lesser God**_

Ichigo always thought that as much as Shinigami translated to "Death God" that it was a presumptuous and arrogant name. By proclaiming themselves to be Gods, they were setting themselves up to fall. In fact, the Shinigami were pale imitations of those that held all the power. Even the captains were able to achieve only a small portion of what the Gods were supposed to be capable. His Hollow agreed, but told him to keep running because those bastards were gaining and now wasn't the time to dwell on the proof of his rainy day musings. Ichigo kept running, leaving his Hollow to worry about their collective blood loss and the body's potential for going into shock.

_**Between heaven and hell**_

If the Shinigami were Gods, then the Hollows must have been the Devils. Yet as Grimmjow appeared before Ichigo, he couldn't help but believe that the other man was really the angel in this fucked up situation. He kept his word, had honor, and was honest. Hell, he questioned orders that didn't make sense, which was more than Ichigo's so-called friends!

Relief was Ichigo's only reaction as Grimmjow scooped up the collapsed Vizard and prevented further attacks with the liberal use of a Cero. For the first time since his mother's death, Ichigo felt at peace as he finally submitted to Morpheus.

_**Heaven and hell**_

The sight of the desert and eternal night of Heuco Mundo was a welcome difference to Ichigo when he finally awoke hours later, still in Grimmjow's arms on the way to Las Noches. Although his wounds hadn't healed fully and he was stiff and sore, there was nowhere else he'd rather be, even if he would miss his family. He just hoped that the rest of his nakama were able to escape that Hell they were in.

_**Into your eyes**_

When Aizen saw the four part humans gathered before him, he was surprised, amused, and most of all, felt victorious. Yamamoto was an idiot. He'd seen what these four were capable of and let his fear consume him. Aizen would not make that same mistake.

He looked into the eyes of the leader, Kurosaki Ichigo, whom he had awaited to join his cause since the boy's conception. Something in those orbs stirred both the Hyogoku and his own heart, but the ragged looks and the increasing pool of blood on the smooth tiles of his throne room did not allow for him to further examine those feelings. He did note that the Sexta remained close to the vivacious ginger. That would take investigating. Perhaps he could use it to his own advantage, but a sliver of green began to cover his vision, forcing him to discard that idea as soon as it crossed his mind. The boy would belong to him alone.

_**Hopeless and taken**_

Ichigo wasn't sure how it had come to this. Four months after his friends arrival in Heuco Mundo, he was in a secluded portion of the fortress, not as if there weren't many, where he had been led by none other than Aizen Sosuke himself. Quite puzzled by this turn of events, although Aizen had been trying to get closer to him for the entire duration of his stay, Ichigo followed willingly, naïvely believing in Aizen's promise that no harm would come to any of the "humans" in Las Noches.

What he didn't expect was to be taken into a room with a large bed and very little else besides. He further didn't expect Aizen to begin to whisper sweet nothings into his ear as he was guided to the bed, despite all the belated protests on his part.

That he ended up tied to the bedposts was surprising, but not the fact that he was unable, even with his amount of reiatsu, to free himself. Aizen was a Master of Kidou and the one who had been training him in its use, after all, and the bindings were anchored in Seki Seki stone. Zangetsu released copious amounts of reiatsu from his place on the wall and Ichigo's Hollow raged, but they could do nothing to prevent the atrocities that occurred.

A gag was shoved in his mouth to prevent any calls for help, since he couldn't used his reiatsu to signal his distress, as Aizen began to explore Ichigo's body beneath his clothes.

Soon Ichigo's shihakusho was ripped from his body along with his hakama. He could do nothing to prevent the further humiliations Aizen subjected him to, as he was forced to orgasm multiple times before Aizen took it one step further and actually penetrated him. The only small mercy Ichigo was allowed was that Aizen took the time to prepare him before fully forcing himself upon the hybrid.

_**We stole our new lives**_

Just as Aizen reached his completion, the Hyogoku embedded in his chest touched Ichigo. In a blinding flash of light and dual screams of pain, the Hyogoku ripped itself from Aizen and implanted itself within Ichigo.

_**Through blood and pain**_

The result was a dead Aizen, who had intertwined the Hyogoku to his being entirely, and an unconscious Ichigo. They would not be found for days; Aizen dead and beginning to disappear into ambient reishi, Ichigo in a coma from the combined trauma of Aizen's atrocities,the Hyogoku's entrenchment into his being, and the changes it wrought to his form.

_**In defense of our dreams**_

Grimmjow was the first one to find the missing hybrid, finally sniffing out his location. He entered the room to find Ichigo, spread across the bed, bound by his wrists, staring blankly at the ceiling beneath the remains of Aizen's corpse. He pulsed his reiatsu to gather the rest of the Espada and the humans who'd come to call Heuco Mundo home, before slowly removing Aizen's body from Ichigo's.

That care soon paid off, as he discovered Aizen was still inside the catatonic hybrid. He made to wrench the corpse off the other male, but the arrival of the others ceased his movement. Harribel immediately went to prevent him from causing the younger male further damage by ripping the dead man from him as the various fluids cemented the two together.

Someone, Orihime by the sound, gasped. The rest remained stock still at the sight. The man that had created them had completely betrayed their trust by breaking the one whom they began to see as a younger sibling. Sayzel and Orihime moved to help, the others, except for Harribel, departed, as she remained to continue containing Grimmjow who refused to leave.

_**In defense of our dreams**_

The two were finally separate, which required a large amount of warm water brought from various sources around Las Noches. Although it would have been easier for the healers to place the man and cadaver into a warm bath, they didn't want to aggravate any unknown injuries with movement and Orihime couldn't begin to heal Ichigo with Aizen in the way, lest she accidentally bring him back.

Grimmjow took the corpse from the room to the sands outside. Together with Harribel and Nel, who had taken to staying with Ichigo in Las Noches and was thus in her adult form, he completely obliterated the dead Shinigami.

For years, the sight Grimmjow found that day would haunt him and the others.

_**We were the kings and queens of promise**_

It took years for Ichigo to recover partially. Everyday was a struggle, especially when it was realized that he was the new vessel of the Hyogoku. He almost never spoke, was absent to the point of being a ghost, and wouldn't allow anyone to touch him. The only ones who could elicit a real reaction from the broken man were Grimmjow and Nel, although the latter continued to act more like a daughter to the man, despite her actual age.

Eventually, he recovered enough to take Aizen's place as the "ruler" of Heuco Mundo, since he had defeated Aizen. Barragan had taken offence to this and attempted to eliminate the boy who had taken the mantel he had expected to regain upon Aizen's death, but was immediately facing half a dozen zanpakuto, a bow, and two fists. He'd backed down and lain low for a few days, when he was found to be dead. No one mentioned the claw mark on his throat and mask.

_**We were the victims of ourselves**_

The social structure of Heuco Mundo began to change, reflecting more of a hive mind shared by ants. The Queen continued to rule, welcoming all to the court, which was comprised of his attendants. Those newly made Hollows who managed to enter Heuco Mundo were rather like the scouts, the Gillians were the retrievers of anything that was deemed particularly interesting by the Queen, which varied from humans to objects, and almost everyone above that level was a warrior. Human souls were still necessary for evolution, but in smaller quantities, since a substitute had been create.

The Queen performed his duties to the realm, producing heirs with powers none had seen before. Yet there was a cost for this peace, one that the Queen paid everyday.

_**Maybe the children of a lesser God**_

The children were always with their mom. He taught them various things, from politics and manners to curses and battle tactics. It was quite a feat to have the number of children that he did when keeping the balance of Heuco Mundo.

Their numbers increased, but as the eldest grew older, she noticed how much paler her mother was now than those early memories of golden skin. His cheeks were hollower and exhaustion seemed to be his constant state of being. Yet he continued with his duties and always held a smile for the children that seemed to multiply.

_**Between heaven and hell**_

Ichigo loved Heuco Mundo and all of its inhabitants, something that if someone had told him when he first learned of the world, he would have looked at them and then proceeded to check them in with Unohana-taicho. He smiled as he leaned into the strong arms that surrounded him, courtesy of the former Sexta Espada. The embrace helped to ward off the constant chill that had settled into his bones since his initial awakening as the vessel of the Hyogoku (or as he called it, "the Stupid-Fucking-Marble-that-Aizen-Lost-that-was-One -More-than-He-Had-to-Lose," aka tSFMtALtwOMtHHtL. Grimmjow cuffed him over the head for that "abbreviation").

Looking out over the balcony rail, Ichigo's smile turned bitter. This haven, this Mother, that had given him his life, his husband, his children, his family a place to call home after the Betrayal, was slowly sucking him into its collective conscience, eroding his current soul form.

Kissing the taller man on the jaw, Ichigo sighed and pulled the elder back to their room. He'd join with the Mother soon enough.

_**Heaven and hell**_

Ichigo's physical condition began to deteriorate rapidly, a signal that his time as a denizen of Heuco Mundo was nearing an end. He was resting in the large nest-like bed he shared with Grimmjow, which he was spending more time in that out of these days, when Lilinette burst in. Her light green hair in disarray, she looked to her "older sister," panting heavily.

With her violet eye shining brightly, she said, "They're back. They're back and they want to fight."

Ichigo immediately moved from the bed, staggering as he tried to find his now unreliable balance. Lilinette rushed to help steady him, while he reached for Zangetsu, who had been propped against the wall. Concern was etched on the "younger" girl's face, but the "elder" continued to move, a semi-familiar scowl on his face that hadn't been seen in centuries.

"I knew they would never leave us alone completely," he muttered. "I'm just surprised this didn't happen sooner…"

With the dual assistance from his sword and Lilinette, Ichigo left the bedroom to find the others that would be instrumental in the defense of their world. Unsurprisingly, they were in the now little used war room.

Silence descended when he entered, before a wave of sound ricocheted about the room.

"Ichigo, you should rest!"

"Mother, what are you doing!"

"Mom! Please, go back to bed!"

"My Queen, you are unwell! Please don't make yourself worse!"

"Itsugo!"

All these exclamations and more filled the room, only to be silenced once more by the new arrival. "Shut up!" A dense pulse of reiatsu assaulted the inhabitants of the room, further assisting in quieting the room.

"Now, instead of telling me what to do, tell me the situation."

_**The age of man is over**_

A group was assembled to "greet" the Shinigami as soon as possible. While their souls should only be purified before being sent to the Soul Society, Ichigo didn't want any of his people dying – even if it was only their current form. Among these were Stark, Harribel, Nel, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Chad, Ichigo's first born, Blithe, Ichigo's eldest son, Ruin, and Ichigo himself.

All were dressed in human clothes that reflected their personalities, courtesy of Ishida. Of course, these clothes also happened to be easy to move in and fairly damage resistant, as they were made with light armor reinforced with reiatsu.

The Shinigami ranks were filled with familiar faces. Rukia, who'd filled out some over the past few centuries, Renji who finally remove that visor for a headband, Ikkaku, who was still bald (not that it was expected to change, but it was comforting to see something that mundane be familiar). Perhaps some of the most devastating faces were those of Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Karin, the former who was leading the Shinigami force.

Catching sight of their "greeters" the Shinigami slowed to stop 100 feet from the other group. Isshin stepped forward. "Greetings. My name is Kurosaki Isshin, current 9th division captain of the Gotei 13. We wish to meet with Aizen Sosuke to discuss the presence of four humans who have… _resided_ here for the past 200 years."

Ichigo stepped forward, not that any knew it was he. His hair had lengthened, darkened, and was streaked with white and red from his hollow's true form, a hole the size of a fist was in his sternum, two white horns extending from his head, and a thin circlet of silver marked his status as Queen. His eyes too had changed. No longer were they the chocolate brown, nor amber, nor gold that they had the possibility of switching between, varying to show who held control of the body at that moment. No, now they were an odd orange brown, for reasons no one knew.

"Indeed, Kurosaki Isshin. I am the Queen, the one who now rules Heuco Mundo and have done so for the past century and a half. Those humans you speak of were caught in the turmoil that resulted from Aizen's death. They assisted my rise to power and have been treated well, no matter what you may think, during their stay. I presume that you desire to…welcome them back to the Soul Society?"

Isshin nodded his confirmation.

The Queen smirked. "I see. There may be a problem with that. You understand their circumstances when they arrived in Heuco Mundo, correct? Then you should also understand that they were persecuted for their abilities and, I do believe, have no desire to return to the people who tried to kill them. Is that not right, Sado?"

The man who was addressed, nodded his head, causing many of the Shinigami to stare at the mountain that had once been one of their closest allies. He too had changed in appearance, slightly shorter hair, partial beard, and different clothing in general coupled with the continuously activated advanced form of his arms (making them look slightly more "normal," at least in terms of size) had made him seem like one of the many humanoid hollows that surrounded the Queen.

Karin broke out from her place in the formation behind Isshin, "Chad! Does this mean my brother wants to stay?"

"…Yes," came the reply in a deep bass voice.

This statement caused various responses, some shouts of indignation, some proclaiming betrayal, some looked crestfallen, and some understanding.

"Oh?" the Queen asked. "What's this, shouting about how these four betrayed you?" A small chuckle escaped the figure. "Did you not betray them first?"

Many froze, but Isshin preserved. "That is what we have come to discuss! Those that ordered the trial of Sado Yatsutora, Ishida Uryuu, Inoue Orihime, and Kurosaki Ichigo have been removed from their offices! They are now heralded as the heroes that they are!"

A short laugh escaped the Queen. "Indeed. What guarantee do you have that they won't be persecuted again? Or is it the fact that by now they are "dead" and therefore fall under the complete jurisdiction of the Gotei 13?"

Isshin had no response for these questions – there was no guarantee that could be given, it was true that the sole reason the former humans had been pardoned by the new Central 46 was due to the fact that they were now completely under the jurisdiction of the Soul Society.

"Ah, regardless, they have built their lives here – you no longer have a place with them. I suggest you return with this information to alert the other Shinigami of this fact."

With that, the group from Las Noches turned their backs on the Shinigami.

_**A darkness comes and all**_

The Shinigami could do nothing as the Queen made to return, presumably, to Las Noches. Those who had been particularly close to those four humans were devastated. Such distress can cause various reactions. One of the most suicidal was Renji's reaction.

"You bastards! I bet you're controlling them! Ichigo would never turn his back on us like that! Howl, Zabimaru!"

The sound of metal meeting metal reverberated in the Shinigamis' ears as the dust settled to reveal a figure blocking Zabimaru with a familiar daito and rugged shihakusho, to prove a point.

"Really, Renji?"

_**These lessons that we've learned here**_

The dust cleared fully, the figure of the Queen easily made out to be the one holding the sword.

"Because you were one of those most persistent in my persecution."

The Shinigami were stunned.

"I-ichi-nii?"

The man smiled and the delegation from Las Noches attacked.

_**Have only just begun**_

Swords flashed as shikai were released, the hybrids not bothering to release their swords, favoring hand to hand combat. Startling laughs reverberated around the battlefield, above the sound of battle.

While they were outnumbered, Ichigo's "guard" were by far the more experienced and skilled, decimating the Shinigami forces and leaving only those who knew Ichigo personally.

Grimmjow clashed with Renji, Nel with Rukia, Ikkaku against Ruin, Matsumoto settling her vendetta against Harribel, Blithe against Karin, leaving Stark, Ullquiorra, and Chad to ensure no one interfered with the fight between Kurosaki Isshin and Ichigo.

_**We were the kings and queens of promise**_

"No!"

"Mother!"

"Ichigo!"

The man fell backwards as Engetsu was ripped from his chest, allowing Isshin to escape with the few who remained alive with a look of sorrow and defiance on his face.

_**We were the victims of ourselves**_

His body was returned to Las Noches, where it soon disappeared completely.

Heuco Mundo mourned the passing of its Queen, as the eldest daughter, Blithe, took over her mother's role with assistance from her father, Grimmjow, and the rest of the "court."

For those young enough to still hear tales before bed, they learned of their mother, the man who had ruled Heuco Mundo so successfully for 150 years, who had, likely (according to their father), sacrificed himself to allow his own father to escape with his former friends.

_**Maybe the children of a lesser God**_

Life was never the same without the former Queen. Blithe tried to rule just as her mother had, and she generally succeeded. However there was always something of "home" that was missing from the world – a part of the man who would care for his enemies and allies alike, who could carve out a true home from the barren desert that was Heuco Mundo. The residents no longer had the same sense of belonging.

_**Between heaven and hell**_

There was pain, so much pain. The darkness beyond what he had ever experienced. There were no directions, the place he was in didn't exist, but did. Yet he was in his haven and that was enough to reassure him. As long as his haven existed, his precious would remain safe.

_**We are the kings**_

Fifteen years. Fifteen years since his husband's death by the sword of his husband's own father. Fifteen years of mourning, raising the children on stories of past years' memories.

He had no desire to attend the "court" today, not on his husband's anniversary of death.

_**We are the queens**_

Blithe looked out over those who attended the court. No one wanted to be there. If she had it her way, she'd be in her room mourning or trying to cheer up her siblings. Court was unnecessary on this day – no one had anything that they felt rivaled the importance of mourning the former Queen's death.

Until this…thing walked in.

_**We are the kings**_

Cloaked in tattered beige cloth, the newcomer's face was hidden in shadow. Vaguely humanoid in appearance, the exact shape of the figure was obscured by the various folds of the fabric. Presumably powerful from its smaller stature, though hiding its reiatsu, the figure approached the thrones.

Grimmjow stiffened in shock and disbelief.

_**We are the queens**_

The "hood" was thrown back. "Hey everyone."

Happy chaos descended.

**Fin.**

**Um, yeah, don't ask me where the inspiration came from – I was feeling depressed that day. If messed up something, let me know!**

**Leave a review, please~.**

**Moon and Shield should be updated tomorrow, Connections… I'll try and get it up before I leave on Friday. I got another tourney.**

**~Illusion~**


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